


Reunion within a dream

by Emerald_Gay



Series: Akebia, the fey paladin of Erastil [2]
Category: Pathfinder (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Exile, F/F, Forced Separation, Pathfinder: Rise of the Runelords Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28155228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emerald_Gay/pseuds/Emerald_Gay
Summary: Akebia has spent decades waiting for a chance to reunite with her love.The catch? They can only talk within a dream.
Relationships: OC/OC
Series: Akebia, the fey paladin of Erastil [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2051925





	Reunion within a dream

Akebia stared down at the brown leaves in her hand.  _ This is Alani’s. _

She couldn’t believe it. After decades of asking every fey she met, she had finally met one who could give her answers about what happened to her paramour, her love. Akebia shook her head with a faint smile.

_ Silly mortals and their words. I call Alani my wife but she is much more than that. _

The blighted fey Myriana had gifted their party two boons for returning her own love’s remains. The more powerful gift had gone to their bard Dravok, enhancing his powers greatly.  _ And Erastil knows that boy needs it. Seems he’s angered some god of combat, with his luck. _

The second gift was all that mattered to her - a lock of Alani’s hair, a mystical connection to her love that would let the two of them communicate despite Akebia’s exile from the First World.

She’d barely had time to express her thanks to Myriana before the withered fey vanished, her lingering resentment fulfilled. Nevertheless, Akebia had done the next best thing, giving her holy symbol to Myriana’s second-in-command, Yap. As a paladin, she supposed it was odd to give up her connection to her deity so readily, but to her, there was no other appropriately meaningful thanks she could give.

Now, safely back in Sandpoint - or as safe as one could be when you were preparing a small coastal town for a giant invasion - Akebia had the time to properly use her precious gift.

_ After all, apparently I will turn into a tree for eight hours when using it, and I am sure the shipwrights would not have appreciated that. _

Akebia lay down on the ground, her wings outstretched beneath her. She closed her eyes and touched the tip of a leaf to her tongue, activating its magic before willing herself to sleep.

_ I have only eight messages. _

\----------------------

She knew she wasn’t awake, but the mercurial nature of the Plane of Dreams made it feel like she was back home on the First World, a place where time and space were fluid.

Her breath froze as she found herself in a familiar grove. The brackish waters and the sloshing of fish nearly distracted her from a sound that she hadn’t heard in nearly 50 Golarion years.

_ I can hear humming. _

It wasn’t a formal tune. Those didn’t quite exist amongst the fey; music was just a way of being.

But the voice was a familiar one.

_ Even in a dream, even in winter, that fool is brushing her hair _ , Akebia thought with a smile as her eyes filled with tears.

She walked towards the source of the humming, not daring to beat her wings. She rounded a corner and saw Alani.

The dryad was sitting in the boughs of her tree, its long willow branches reaching down to the water’s edge. True to Akebia’s assumption, Alani was combing her hair, untangling the unruly twiglike strands with a comb made from the horn of a particularly annoying faun.

As Akebia silently basked in the beauty of the moment, not wanting to waste a word for fear of breaking the spell that reunited them, her footing on the moist ground became unstable, and she fell into the water with a splash.

As she came up for air, she saw Alani staring at her in amazement, tears coming to the dryad’s eyes even as her face grew a wry grin.

_ Like what you see, huh?  _ Alani implied, setting off the soft expression in her brown eyes with a roguishly raised eyebrow.

Akebia moved closer to Alani and shook the water off herself, causing the pair to laugh and flail at each other with mock indignity. With one final faux-slap, Akebia’s hand went through Alani’s and the two instantly stopped.

_ No matter how real this feels, I’m still not here. _

“I’ve missed you so much, Alani,” Akebia said, pausing for a shuddering breath, hoping that she could continue the thought before the spell decided she had used one message. “No one could help me. I thought I would die before seeing you again.”

Akebia felt a portion of the magic fade.  _ One message used. _

“Oh, my little butterfly, I’ve missed you as well,” Alani replied, and Akebia nearly wept at the sound. Her love’s voice contained the thrum of a violin and the groan of a tree’s bough in a gale, and it was the most beautiful sound in all the planes. Alani went on, “It’s been hard without you. I assume from your mark it’s Count Ranalc’s fault you’re gone.”

“Yes, it is. Did you ever figure out why?” 

Alani shook her head, her hair rustling in the breeze. 

“Figures. Have you been lonely much? I wouldn’t want you to isolate yourself because of me.”

Alani rolled her eyes, and gestured to her body with mock exasperation. “Did you think I would forget the pleasure of others, little Gathlain? We’ve both loved others as long as we’ve lived. Have  _ you _ been lonely?”

Akebia blushed, thinking back on the many,  _ many _ encounters she had in the intervening years. It was fortunate for her that her race was incapable of bearing children and her powers made her immune to disease.  _ All the more fun to be had. _

Alani looked at Akebia with a teasing smirk on her face, the atmosphere between them growing warm despite the wintry look of the world beyond their little grove.

_ Then again, Alani has always brought me warmth _ , Akebia thought as she willed her blush away. 

_ Four messages left. _

Akebia changed the subject. “I’ve been busy working with mortals. Moving from one town to the next, helping where I can. Recently, I’ve joined a party. We’ve discovered something.”

“I wait in anticipation for when we can have longer talks, love. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

Akebia sighed, leaning her back against Alani’s tree and wishing she could feel the comfort of Alani’s arms. “We have a big battle coming up soon. I’m- I’m not sure we’re all going to make it. I love you, my shade.”

Alani looked upon her wayward love with a soft, tender expression as the magic that was binding their dreams together began to fade. “I love you too, my butterfly. Keep those friends of yours safe.”

Akebia could only answer with a nod, the dream world dissolving in streaks of magic.

No longer could she feel the tickling chill of the wind, nor hear the sounds of Alani’s voice. She could not feel Alani’s presence or see her face. So many aspects of their life together faded away into pitch-black nothingness as Akebia returned to the Material world.

A soft ocean breeze tickled her face, as she heard the sounds of seagulls in the distance. She sat up, shaking off the morning dew, her skin prickling from the cool moisture.

But despite leaving the dream behind, Alani’s warmth remained.


End file.
